Northeast
Historic Maryland church opens doors to visitors 320 years after closing down
Visitors have been able to step into a reconstructed 17th-century Catholic church in Maryland for the first time – an opportunity over 320 years in the making.
Historic St. Mary’s City, an archaeological organization, opened up its Brick Chapel on April 12. The building was originally constructed in 1667. St. Mary’s City is a colonial town located in St. Mary’s County, off the western shore of Chesapeake Bay.
Fox News Digital spoke to Henry Miller, Ph.D., a senior research fellow at Historic St. Mary’s City, about the opening, the result of multiple excavations since 1988. (See the video at the top of this article.)
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While a wooden chapel was first built on the site in 1645, the structure burned down when Maryland was attacked by troops from the English Parliament.
“But in the 1660s, things had settled down, and the Brick Chapel, the first major brick building in Maryland, began to be constructed,” Miller said. “It was a very significant architectural achievement for the time and place.”
The church was “the center of Catholic worship in Maryland” until 1704, said Henry Miller, Ph.D., when a Protestant governor closed the church down. (Historic St. Mary’s City)
In the colonial era, it was generally forbidden by law for Catholics to have any churches, but Maryland offered a notable exception.
“It was only because of Lord Baltimore’s policy of liberty, of conscience and freedom of religion that [the church] could be erected,” the expert said.
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“So [the church] is really an important statement about the beginnings of religious freedom in what is now the United States and beyond.”
The Brick Chapel was the center of Catholic worship in Maryland until 1704, when the colony’s Protestant governor shuttered the building’s doors, Miller said. The sheriff “locked the door, [took] the key with him, and never again allow[ed] that building to be used for worship.”
Historic St. Mary’s City, an archaeological organization, opened its reconstructed Brick Chapel on April 12 after decades of historical work. (Historic St. Mary’s City)
“The freedom of belief, the freedom of religion that Lord Baltimore had championed totally ended at that time period,” the archaeologist said.
“A few years later, the building was demolished, and it basically disappeared from view and memory for over 200 years.”
“That building could not have been constructed anywhere else in the English-speaking world at this time.”
The church was entirely forgotten about until 1938, when an architectural historian spotted peculiar remains of a cross-shaped brick building.
Today, the Brick Chapel – rebuilt between 2004 and 2009 – has a recently finished interior that accurately captures what a 17th-century Catholic church would have looked like at the time.
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Miller recreated the building’s interior through several means, such as researching similar churches and obtaining art that was commonly used in Jesuit churches, he said. Not many artifacts survive at the site, thanks to Jesuits who dismantled their church and reused the materials elsewhere.
“The Jesuits were some of the first recyclers … They took everything above ground away and reused it,” Miller said.
“What we found were lots of fragments of plaster, of mortar and the five-foot-deep, three-foot-wide brick foundation.”
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“We actually let visitors see some of that original brickwork,” Miller added. “There was weird stone we found there in pieces, [and] we now know that they imported 14 tons of stone from Europe to pave the floor of this building.”
But the church still retains some original features. Miller also noted that the original tabernacle of the church survived, along with 17th-century lead coffins that visitors can view under a glass floor.
The chapel required extensive construction work and research to determine what a 17th-century Catholic church would have looked like. (Historic St. Mary’s City)
“The graves are both all around and inside the chapel,” Miller said. “There’s maybe 60 or 70 graves in the chapel, but there’s 300 to 400 outside.”
He added, “This was the largest 17th century cemetery in Maryland. So the grave distribution showed us also where the altar area, the formal area, began.”
Still, the process has been challenging – and Miller was only able to find one written description of the chapel, dating back to the late 1690s.
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“A Protestant governor, Francis Nicholson, was very anti-Catholic,” the archaeologist said. “And he said in a report, ‘The Catholics have several chapels in Maryland, including a good brick chapel at Saint Mary’s.’”
“We want you, as a visitor, to walk in and have a sense of what a 17th-century person would have seen.”
Miller joked, “Oh, how we wish he was a verbose kind of guy who would have given us more information. But for him to even say it was ‘good’ was probably a significant clue there.”
He added, “So it is based on lots of different information. It is as accurate as we can come up with.”
Still, the historian emphasized that no formal worship will take place in the new building – instead, it will exist as an exhibit on the history of religious freedom in Maryland.
“The seeds of faith planted there … grew the church and the first diocese that was established in Maryland in the year 1790,” Miller said. “So it truly is the founding place of the modern Catholic Church in the United States.”
The Brick Chapel is an accurate reconstruction of the original 1667 structure on the same site (foundation seen here) — and it has taken historians decades to recreate the church. (Historic St. Mary’s City)
“But it’s also a symbol, and this is what’s important,” he said. “That building could not have been constructed anywhere else in the English-speaking world at this time.”
Visitors may be surprised by the elegance of the church’s interior. Instead of a classic colonial New England church filled with wooden pews, the Brick Chapel has no pews at all.
Miller noted that, in colonial-era Catholic churches, worshippers either stood or knelt.
“The pews are more of a Protestant innovation,” Miller added. “If you had a two-hour-long sermon, seating would be very helpful there. Catholic sermons were probably considerably shorter.”
Visitors will be able to view original 17th-century lead coffins through a glass pane in the chapel. (Historic St. Mary’s City)
Miller said that decades of work have created a “unique exhibit.”
“We also want you, as a visitor, to walk in and have a sense of what a 17th-century person would have seen,” the archaeologist said. “We’ve hidden the exhibits in the arms of the building, where you don’t see them until you get right up on top of them.”
“It’s one that we have worked on for over 37 years, but I am delighted that it will finally be completed and we can start more effectively telling this significant American story.”
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto and Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.
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BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Police are searching for a Burlington woman who faces multiple charges after investigators say she let her baby drown in a bathtub while under the influence.
The incident happened in October 2024. Police say Briana Arnold, 34, left her 3-month-old daughter in the filling bathtub. The infant then drowned.
Police said they found narcotics in Arnold’s kitchen and bloodstream.
After a yearlong investigation, police issued a warrant for Arnold’s arrest on manslaughter, child cruelty and drug charges. So far, they have not found her. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations at 802-652-6895 or the local police department where she is known to be located.
Copyright 2025 WCAX. All rights reserved.
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Police in Rhode Island spent days searching for the individual who shot and killed two students and injured nine others at Brown University.
The shooting happened around 4 p.m. Saturday at Brown University’s Barus and Holley engineering building. While a person of interest was taken into custody early Sunday morning, that individual was later released.
Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov died in the shooting. Cook, 19, was the president of the Brown University College Republicans.
The manhunt ended with the discovery of suspect Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente. Here’s a timeline of the investigation.
Timeline of the Brown University shooting:
Saturday at 2 p.m.: The person of interest was seen on surveillance camera wearing dark clothing and a mask while walking on Manning Street before going onto Cooke Street.
2:08 p.m.: The person of interest was seen walking on Benevolent Street and paused when walking by the Aldrich House.
2:16 p.m.: The person of interest turned west down George Street.
2:20 p.m. The person of interest was seen running east on Benevolent Street toward Cooke Street, away from the campus.
2:51 p.m.: The individual was seen on Manning Street turning onto Hope Street toward a parking lot that’s near the Barus and Holley engineering building, where the shooting happened.
4:03 p.m.: The person of interest was seen walking through Lot 42 to Hope Street.
4:22 p.m.: Brown University notifies the campus community of an active shooter.
A shooter entered the Barus and Holley engineering building and began firing, killing two people and injuring nine other students.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for the entire Brown University campus, which was later lifted as police searched for the shooter. Brown University President Christina H. Paxson described the shooting as a “tragic day” for the institution.
“There are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building,” Paxson said.
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The outer doors to the campus building were unlocked because of final exams, authorities said.
The suspect was described as a man dressed in black leaving the building by foot, according to Providence Police Deputy Chief Tim O’Hara.
4:50 p.m.: Brown University Department of Public Safety says a person of interest is in custody. The shelter in place was still in effect.
6:35 p.m.: Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said during a press conference that two people were killed in the shooting and another eight other individuals were injured.
11:04 p.m.: Police release video showing a person of interest.
Authorities late Saturday released surveillance footage of a person of interest following a deadly shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. (Providence Police Department)
A map showing the Barus and Holley Building at Brown University, where a gunman killed two and wounded nine Saturday, as well as the intersection where a dark-clad person of interest was seen on surveillance video. (Google Maps, Fox News Digital)
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Sunday at 5:42 a.m.: After over 12 hours, Brown University lifted the shelter in place and allowed students to leave. Law enforcement officials had been evacuating students throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning.
3:45 a.m.: Authorities early Sunday morning announced a person of interest had been detained. Providence Chief of Police Colonel Oscar Perez Jr. didn’t mention if the individual was affiliated with the university.
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11 p.m.: Officials in Providence released the person of interest that was previously in custody, saying there was a lack of evidence.
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“Yeah, look, I think it’s fair to say that, ah, there is no basis to consider him a person of interest. So that’s why he’s being released,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said.
In a post on X, the Providence Police wrote, “Tonight, we announced that the person of interest is being released. The investigation has been ongoing and remains fully active between all agencies. Since the first call to 911, we have not received any specific threats to our community.”
Monday at 2:30 p.m.: Police release additional surveillance footage of a person of interest:
5:15 p.m.: The FBI and Providence Police released new images and video of a person of interest, showing someone wearing dark clothing, captured from surveillance cameras.
The images were retrieved around 2 p.m. Saturday, two hours before the shooting, authorities said at a news conference on Monday. The person of interest was described as a male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall with a stocky build.
Authorities added during the news conference that the shooter used a 9mm handgun.
File photo of Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, who is reportedly one of the victims in the mass shooting incident at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Dec. 13, 2025. (GoFundMe)
Tuesday at 11:54 a.m.: Norfolk District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro had been killed at his home on Monday night. He was found with an apparent gunshot wound.
MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro who was killed in his home on Tuesday, Dec. 16. (Jake Belcher)
Wednesday at 12:36 p.m.: The Providence Police Department released pictures of an individual who was “in proximity” to the person of interest, who they want to speak with.
Thursday at 9:45 p.m.: Authorities in Rhode Island identified Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente as the suspect in the Brown University shooting. A source told Fox News that the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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A split image shows Claudio Neves-Valente, identified as the Brown University gunman, wearing the same jacket as a man identified earlier as a person of interest in the case. (Providence Police Department)
Police said Neves-Valente used his real name on a rental car agreement, which helped officials locate the suspect. Neves-Valente rented a Nissan Sentra with Florida plates from Alamo Rent A Car in Boston, Massachusetts, on Dec. 1.
10:48 p.m.: U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said Neves-Valente was also responsible for the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, who died after suffering “apparent gunshot wounds” on Monday evening.
Retired FBI Supervisory Agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital “people want answers,” noting there’s an intense amount of pressure on law enforcement.
“Parents want to know their kids are safe. Students want to know if they can move freely on campus. Families of the victims want justice, and they deserve it,” Pack said. “There is also pressure. Investigators feel it. Prosecutors feel it. University officials feel it. Families of the victims carry it every hour of every day. Pressure, however, does not solve cases. Evidence does.”
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Michael Ruiz, Andrea Margolis and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
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Boston, MA
City officials suspend license of Boston nightclub where woman suffered fatal medical episode – The Boston Globe
City officials said Wednesday they had suspended the entertainment license for Icon, a Boston nightclub, after a woman suffered a medical emergency there over the weekend and later died.
The city’s licensing board is expected to hold a hearing on the future of Icon’s liquor license “in the coming weeks,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
Police arrived at the Warrenton Street venue, in the Theater District, just before 12:30 a.m. on Sunday and found a person lying on the dance floor, unresponsive and without a pulse, according to an incident report. Family members on social media identified the woman as Anastaiya Colon and said she had been celebrating her sister’s birthday when she collapsed.
Emergency medical personnel performed chest compressions and took Colon to Tufts Medical Center, according to the report. Family members said Tuesday that she had died.
“Any loss of life in our community is a horrible tragedy and our condolences go out to the family and loved ones,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement Wednesday.
Family members have accused the nightclub of negligence, alleging that, once alerted to the medical emergency, Icon staff failed immediately to call 911, only stopped the dance music for a few minutes, and did not clear the way for emergency personnel once they arrived.
“Their negligence and incompetence to control and clear a crowd for professionals ensured it was too late to save her,” Bonnell Stackhouse, Colon’s former partner, alleged in a social media post.
Boston police detectives are investigating the incident, according to Officer Mark Marron, a department spokesperson. A spokesperson for the Suffolk district attorney’s office said Wednesday morning that there are “no indications of criminality.”
In a statement to the Globe on Wednesday, the club said its staff had acted appropriately.
Club management said it conducted interviews with employees and reviewed security footage that showed CPR was administered “within a minute” of staff being notified of the medical emergency.
EMS was contacted within two minutes, and Boston police arrived within six minutes, the club said.
“We hope the family finds some comfort knowing that Boston Police, Boston EMS, and the Club Staff worked diligently and efficiently in responding to this unfortunate situation,” club management said.
According to the police report, however, the first officers to arrive on the scene were on a routine patrol outside the nightclub when they were flagged down by one of Colon’s friends.
Police also said in the report that the large crowd inside the club did not comply with orders to give space to emergency medical personnel, forcing them to shut down the club and order the patrons to leave.
Icon had planned to hold a New Year’s Eve event, headlined by DJs JayRoc and Roniflee, according to its social media accounts. It was unclear Wednesday whether that event would take place.
Colon, known as “Nena,” leaves behind two children, one aged 9 and the other 6 months old, according to a fund-raiser in her name.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
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